BY REX MPHISA
BEITBRIDGE police at the weekend busted a syndicate that manufactured fake border process documents, denying the government substantial revenue.
A security guard employed by National Eye Security intercepted a tout providing a traveller with a fake temporary import permit (TIP) documents, leading to the arrest of some bogus shipping agents who manufactured the fraudulent papers.
The officer commanding Beitbridge Police District, Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo confirmed the arrest.
“I can confirm I heard about that and our CID team is investigating the case,” Nyongo said.
Taking advantage of holiday crowding, scores of unemployed youths descend on the border post at this time of the year posing as clearing agents.
They sell fake documents to unsuspecting motorists.
On Friday, one such youth was caught red-handed and led a combined team of border officials who included the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and police to his handlers.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders at the border post have said eradication of touts, pickpockets, beggars and other undesirables from the area will remain a challenge.
The undesirables blend in with large numbers of plain clothes members of the anti-smuggling unit detectives and several officers from government employed at the border post, causing problems.
Unlike the South African side of the border post, where only uniformed staff work there, the Zimbabwean side has plenty of officers who have been accused of duplicating the roles of Zimra officers.
